1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to remote management of a device, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for remotely managing a device by using another device as an intermediary.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the number of wireless communication devices proliferates over time, a standard method for managing wireless communication devices has become necessary. In this respect, the mobile device management method has been developed for managing firmware, software, parameters, schedules, and HardWare (H/W) capabilities while a wireless communication business operator or a service provider wirelessly communicates with the devices.
The representative remote management method is the OMA (Open Mobile Alliance) DM (Device Management) developed in the organization of the OMA, which establishes an application standard for wireless communication devices. The OMA DM reads, adds, deletes, modifies, and executes an object of the wireless communication device using the DM protocol based on SyncML (Synchronization Markup Language), so that it is possible to manage internal firmware, software, and other parameters of the device. The subject of managing a device, such as a wireless communication device, corresponds to a DM server and a device subject to the management, such as the wireless communication device, corresponds to a client. Therefore, the device subject to the management includes the DM client.
The conventional device management is performed in a peer-to-peer scheme. That is, a peer-to-peer session is established between the DM server in the network and the DM client included in the wireless communication device to transmit/receive a message defined in the DM protocol, so that the DM server may allow the DM client to add/delete/modify a specific configuration in the device or perform the specific operation.
The DM protocol is defined as a total of 5 messages from package #0 through package #4 and the DM session can be established between the DM server and the device through the DM protocol. The DM session can be initiated by the DM server or the DM client, i.e. the device.
FIG. 1 illustrates a general process of establishing the DM session.
Referring to FIG. 1, if a DM server 20 has a management operation to be performed for a device, the DM server 20 transfers a package #0 notification message to the device, i.e. a DM client 10 included in the device, and notifies the DM client 10 of the existence of a DM operation in step 101. When the DM client 10 receives the package #0 notification message, the DM client 10 transmits a package #1 message to the DM server 20 and requests the DM client 10 to establish a session in step 103. If the DM client 10 does not receive the package #0 notification message, the DM client 10 can make a request for the DM session to the DM server 20 according to necessity or periodically, and update a function of the device.
The DM server 20 allows the establishment of the DM session and transmits a package #2 message that transfers a DM command for the standby device management operation to the DM client 10 in step 105. The DM client 10 responds to the package #2 message and transmits a package #3 message to the DM server 20 so as to transfer a performance result of the DM commend received from the DM server 20 in step 107.
Subsequently, the DM server 20 terminates the DM session or transfers an additional management operation to the DM client 10 through a package #4 message in step 109 and the DM client 10 performs the additional management operation included in the package #4 message and reports the result to the DM server 20 through a package #3 message in step 111.
Thereafter, the DM server 20 and the DM client 10 can provide the management operation or the management commands through the repetitive transmission of the package #4 message and the package #3 message. In this case, if a management operation is continuously included in the package #4 message, the DM session is maintained. However, if there is no additional management operation in the package #4 message, the DM session is terminated.
However, in the afore-mentioned DM system, the wireless device having a DM network access function is the principal subject to the remote management, so that only the direct device management between the DM server and the device including the DM client can be implemented. That is, it is not possible to remotely manage the device having no function of accessing the DM network or an external network or having no DM client.
Further, such a device cannot receive the services provided from a service providing server connected to the external network, because the corresponding devices do not have the necessary software for reproducing contents provided from the service providing server, and are not able to access the external network. Here, the service providing server refers to a server providing various such services as multimedia contents, games and advertisements.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a method by which the device having no function of accessing the external network or having no DM client can be remotely managed without additionally including the DM client.